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Re: star vs square drive

Are star drive screws suppose to be an upgrade over square drive the way square is an upgrade over phillips?

I've been using some star drive and I don't see the advantage over square drive other than that they are prettier once they're in.

I don't know if they're "supposed" to be an upgrade, but from my experience using both, I have less problems with the stars stripping than the square. You let the square driver slip out of the screw just a few times, and the driver loses its tight fit, which in turn makes it more prone to slipping. The driver fit in the star screws is better, imo, in that it rarely slips out of the screw. It's more forgiving.

But, the star tips are more prone to breaking when using an impact driver. Overall, I prefer the star, but when using them, I'll use the drill/driver more than the impact.

Tom

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Re: star vs square drive

What I don't understand, is why squares are so much less common here than in Canada or Europe.

I didn't see a phillips all summer, in Italy. And last time I was in Quebec, the only phillips I saw were the DW screws. But walk into a random hardware store, or one of the Boxes, here? Mostly phillips, even some slotheads... no squares, no stars.

on-topic - I find the squares and stars way less likely to strip out than a phillips.

Last edited by frenchie; 12-05-2008 at 09:09 PM.

Francois

Truth is just one man's explanation for what he thinks he understands. (Walter Mosley)

Re: star vs square drive

Square drives stay on the bit better when you load them. Torx screws fall off the driver no matter what you do. You have to keep the driver in line with the screw with a square drive, or the bit will slip out. A torx you can offset the driver about 5 degrees from the screw and still drive the screw in without slipping, which is handy if you're screwing something together that would normally require the use of a right angle drill. #1 square drives are useless POS's and should be outlawed, like Greg said.

Mark

If I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say, "If I had a dollar for every time....", I'd be a rich man.

Re: star vs square drive

Anything is better than phillips when you want to get a grip.

The Phillips screw was meant to let loose and "Cam Out " by design.

Just a little history for those interested.

Cross-head, or Phillips screw has an X-shaped slot and is driven by a cross-head screwdriver, designed originally in the 1930s for use with mechanical screwing machines, intentionally made so the driver will ride out, or cam out, under strain to prevent over-tightening.

Re: star vs square drive

Originally Posted by frenchie

What I don't understand, is why squares are so much less common here than in Canada or Europe.

The screws with a square type head used in Canada are Robertson screws not the square drive used in America. In addition to having a square head they are tapered so they fit tighter on the driver than square drive. In is infuriating that Home depot and the tool companies like Bosch and Dewalt bring square drive bits into Canada that NEARLY fit Robertson screws. For any Canadian readers that want bits that work buy the bits that are color coded red, green, black sold at the sales desk of the lumber yard NOT the cheap ones in the bulk pack.

The reason for the phillips and square drive being the screws used in America.

Re: star vs square drive

I don't know...I'm kinda partial to slotted screws. Bought pallets of them back in the 70's, and I'll probably never need to buy them ever again. ;)

Remember when Phillips screws manufactured by companies such as Grabber were actually sufficient enough because they were tooled properly and weren't made of zinc and paper mache? Brass deck screw? Please! Nowadays, they're so flimsy the manufacturers needed to bump them from a #6 to a number #8.

Found a chart of all the popular screw-drive types, down the right side of the page in the link. Never seen nor heard of a few of them:

Re: star vs square drive

The stars all the way or "torques" screws is what we call them.

I built all my shelving in my shop out of them a few months ago. When I moved shop I took all my shelves apart. Saved the screws and put another project together with them. They where still good as new.

I just bought a couple hundred dollars worth of mcfeely's square drive. Mainly because I needed an assortment of screws. I hate the square drive. I thought I'd be fine with it but I've already stripped a couple out.

Re: star vs square drive

I think torx head screws are much better when using stainless. Much less likely to strip out. One other advantage I've found is that you can sink a torx screw just a little farther than a square drive. Sometimes I need just one more turn to suck two pieces of trim tight togehter and a square drive can't quite get there. The torx bits have a longer driver section.

Re: star vs square drive

I use T20 screws from 1/2" to 3" daily (probably a couple thousand this summer alone) and have not had one strip or break.

We run gazillions of #1 square drive screws in our HFS and they are much more prone to stripping under the same conditions.

So...my vote is that square drives be outlawed altogether.

this is the exact same experience i have had especially with SS, just not with the same quantity.

i still use square/combo drives for cabinet assy. because that is what is available and they work. i have not had problems with the heads stripping out probably because there is not enough torque generated from using the screws in plywood.